▸ 从前cóng qián，有yǒu一个yí gè年轻nián qīng的de渔夫yú fū。

A long time ago, there was a young fisherman.

▸ 他tā对duì自己zì jǐ说shuō，要yào每天měi tiān出去chū qù打鱼dǎ yú。

He told himself that he would go out to fish every day.

▸ 第一天dì yī tiān，他tā早早zǎo zǎo出海chū hǎi，满怀信心mǎn huái xìn xīn。

On the first day, he went out early with great confidence.

▸ 第二天dì èr tiān，他tā继续jì xù努力nǔ lì，虽然suī rán有点yǒu diǎn累lèi。

On the second day, he kept working, even though he was a bit tired.

▸ 第三天dì sān tiān，风浪fēng làng有些yǒu xiē大dà，但dàn他tā还是hái shì出海chū hǎi了le。

On the third day, the waves were rough, but he still went to sea.

▸ 到了dào le第四天dì sì tiān，他tā觉得jué de太tài累lèi了le，就jiù在zài岸上àn shàng晒网shài wǎng。

By the fourth day, he felt too tired and stayed on the shore to dry his nets.

▸ 第五天dì wǔ tiān，他tā说shuō今天jīn tiān也yě晒晒网shài shài wǎng，明天míng tiān再zài去qù。

On the fifth day, he said he would dry the nets again and go tomorrow.

▸ 这样zhè yàng过了guò le很多hěn duō天tiān，他tā常常cháng cháng三天打鱼sān tiān dǎ yú，两天晒网liǎng tiān shài wǎng。

Days went by like this, with him often fishing for three days and drying the nets for two.

▸ 他的tā de鱼yú越来越少yuè lái yuè shǎo，家里jiā lǐ也yě不够bú gòu吃chī。

He caught fewer and fewer fish, and his family did not have enough to eat.

▸ 邻居lín jū摇头yáo tóu说shuō：你nǐ这样zhè yàng做zuò，怎么zěn me能néng有yǒu好hǎo收成shōu cheng呢ne？

The neighbors shook their heads and said, "How can you get a good harvest doing it this way?"

▸ 后来hòu lái，他tā明白míng bai了le，不bù坚持jiān chí就jiù没有méi yǒu成果chéng guǒ。

Later, he realized that without persistence there is no result.

▸ 他tā开始kāi shǐ按àn计划jì huà每天měi tiān工作gōng zuò，慢慢地màn màn de，鱼yú又yòu多了duō le起来qǐ lái。

He started to follow a plan and work every day, and slowly the fish increased again.

▸ 这个zhè gè故事gù shì告诉gào sù我们wǒ men，“三天打鱼两天晒网sān tiān dǎ yú liǎng tiān shài wǎng”说的是shuō de shì做事zuò shì不bù坚持jiān chí，

This story tells us: "three days fishing, two days drying nets" means not being persistent,

▸ 时做时停shí zuò shí tíng。

stopping and starting.

▸ 在现代zài xiàn dài，这个zhè gè成语chéng yǔ用来yòng lái形容xíng róng学习xué xí、运动yùn dòng、工作gōng zuò等děng方面fāng miàn的de三分钟热度sān fēn zhōng rè dù。

In modern use, the idiom describes short-lived enthusiasm in things like study, exercise, or work.

▸ 如果rú guǒ一个人yí gè rén今天jīn tiān很hěn努力nǔ lì，明天míng tiān就jiù偷懒tōu lǎn，进步jìn bù就jiù会huì很hěn慢màn。

If someone works hard today but slacks off tomorrow, progress will be very slow.

▸ 比如bǐ rú，小李xiǎo lǐ学xué英语yīng yǔ时shí，三天sān tiān背bèi单词dān cí，两天liǎng tiān不bù碰pèng书shū，

For example, when Xiao Li studies English, he memorizes words for three days, then avoids books for two,

▸ 朋友péng you就jiù会huì说shuō：你nǐ别bié再zài“三天打鱼两天晒网sān tiān dǎ yú liǎng tiān shài wǎng”了le，

his friends might say: "Stop doing 'three days fishing and two days drying nets',"

▸ 按àn计划jì huà每天měi tiān学xué一点yì diǎn更gèng好hǎo。

it is better to study a little every day with a plan.

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